It's a spinach wrap, but the spinach is on the inside! Inside American Elm leaves -- with an assortment of foraged and homegrown plants. Tasty and free!
Getting It All Together!
The spinach is bolting with the longer days. So I'm glad @progressivechef chose it for the special ingredient this week and not a month from now! When I travel to Washington, DC, for work, I like to stop at Jaleo, a Spanish tapas restaurant. They have a small plate with a wonderful mix of spinach and pine nuts. Here's my Haphazard Homestead version -- wild style!
In The Kitchen!
I also harvested some American Elm leaves. The big leaves of the American Elm are tough now, except for the new growth. It's still tender and tasty -- a mild greens flavor. And I raided my stash of Gingko nuts. I have other posts that go into more detail about Gingko trees and foraging their nuts. I've used them before in the Steemit Iron Chef contest -- they have a chestnut flavor and their consistency can be anywhere from chewy to crunchy, depending on how they are cooked. Here, I've got them right in the middle.
Back in the kitchen, I blanched the elm leaves and cut out the center vein from each one. I toasted the shelled gingko nuts in a cast iron skillet with a little coarse salt. I tossed with clover blossoms with a little salt as well, to heighten their light flavor. I braised the spinach in water, with a touch of Braggs seasoning - it's like a richer flavored soy sauce, I think.
I arranged the elm leaves and laid my ingredients on top. Then I wrapped my wrap!
Eating!
What Do You Think?
- Have you eaten Gingko nuts or Elm leaves?
- Have you eaten wild blackberries?
- Do you have any Gingko trees near you?
- Would you eat my little spinach wraps?
I eat a lot of wild plants and show you how, because I believe that we can all have lives that are richer, more secure, more grounded, and more interesting by getting to know the plants and the land around us – in our yards, our parks, and our wild places.
Thanks @progressivechef for creating the Steemit Iron Chef contest series!
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Plant List
- American Elm - Ulmus americana - tender leaves
- White clover - Trifolium repens - flower blossoms
- Trailing Blackberry - Rubus ursinis - berries
- Gingko - Gingko biloba - cooked nutmeats
- Danube cherries!
